Several different types of vehicle window covering devices are known in the prior art, including devices useful as sun shades, insect screens and temporary covers for placement over broken windows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,414 shows a vehicle screen in FIG. 34 for use in converting a conventional vehicle into a camper, where the unit spans the full height and width of the vehicle door. However, this device does not install on the door itself, but rather installs within the opening of a sliding door of a mini-van or the like.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US2004/0188036 teaches a temporary screen for placement in the window opening of vehicle door, and mentions screens that fit over an ‘entire door’ of a vehicle in the background section, but provides no particular examples.
UK Patent Application GB2408728 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,299 disclose screens and covers that are sized to fit over only the window-containing upper portion of the vehicle door, but then use one or more straps or tie down straps that wrap around the bottom edge of the door between the interior and exterior of the vehicle to secure the device screen or cover in place over the window.
U.S. Patent Application Publication US2004/0222662 teaches a temporary replacement window that fits over the window-containing upper half of vehicle door, and in FIG. 19 shows a bungee or other elastic member running along the perimeter of the cover to automatically tighten around the door frame on the interior side thereof to secure the cover in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,754 shows a window cover with an elastic draw string, where the elasticity keeps the cover tight on three of four sides of the window, and tying of the draw string secures the fourth side. Again, this reference does not show a unit that engages around the full perimeter of the door, and thus only covers the window-containing upper area of the door.
Japanese patent reference JP1999115483 shows a vehicle window screen that includes a semi-circular mesh area co-operable with a shade movable between open and closed positions relative to the mesh to switch between an airflow-enabling insect-protection mode and a sun-shade mode. However, the reference again does not disclose a full-door unit, and it also lacks a built-in rain guard or canopy over the mesh-equipped screen area.
Any of the forgoing references that include a mesh screen for allowing airflow into the vehicle through the window opening of the vehicle door lack sufficient protection against rain penetration when the airflow-enabling mesh is employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,487 shows a combination of an insect screen and a canopy, but uses a mechanical arrangement of notable bulk and complexity to the mount to the window-containing upper half of the vehicle door.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,892,498 shows a vehicle window screen with a sun visor, but the visor is a separate non-collapsible rigid unit that attaches and detaches from the screen, and covers only the top end of the window opening, leaving other areas open for rain penetration, particularly in windy conditions.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0274060 shows a vehicle window insect screen and awning combination in FIG. 13, but the awning is a non-collapsible rigid unit that is attached to the vehicle separately from the screen.
Other references in the same general field, but less pertinent to the present invention, include EP980775, JP3041640, JP1988051820, JP1997328016, U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,427, U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,536, U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,127, U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,315, WO02/096687, WO1997/010964 and WO2006/089350.
Applicant has developed a unique vehicle window cover that features a deployable and collapsible canopy and fits over the entire vehicle door in order to provide optimal rain protection during the use the cover's airflow-enabling mesh screen, while allowing retraction of canopy for convenient and compact storage.